Tire tread



Jan. 18, 1949.

A. HARGRAVES TIRE TREAD Filed Dec. 24, 1946 I NVENTOR ALBERT Maag/wss ATTOR N EYS Patented Jan. 18, 1949 TIRE Tamm Albert HargraveSCuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Firestone Tire & Rubber'Co'mpany, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 24, 1946, serial No, y'$18,234. l

5 claims. (C1. 15e-'209).

s This invention relates` to4 improvements in treads for non-metallic tires and in particular concerns improvements in treads of Ypneumatic tires molded from rubber or'rubber like materials.

The treads of such tires are commonly formed With a pattern comprising up-standing ribs and/or La plurality of studs each of which pattern l units presents alworking surface to that of the road.l The present invention is illustrated by reference to a continuous rib tire; however, it is limited to snch continuous ribs, but that in their vstead a series of broken ribs, orv elongatedlugs,

may Ybe used Without departing from thespirit of the invention. While the tread embodying the present invention has been designed with its esthetic appeal considered, its mechanical function isof primary concern. n

An object of thepresent invention is to provide improved traction. A

-Another object of the invention is to provide an effective non-skid tread in which tread wear is less than in treads heretofore known which provide comparable traction.

lA further object of the invention is to provide an effective non-skid tread that is quiet in serv ice. y

A still furtherobject of the invention is to pro vide a tread adapted to eject pebbles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an -eiective non-skid tread that is quiet and stable.

. vAnother oblject of the invention is to provide a treadfhaving grooves between non-skid tread elements, thetread being so constructed as to prevent the closing of the grooves at the treads road contact-surface. at predetermined intervals along the grooves, and to prevent closing along the bottom of the grooves When said tread is under load.V

v'Still another object of the invention is to provide a'tread that prevents excessive lateral movement of the tread.

Yet another object of the` invention is to pro vide a grooved tread that will not close at predetermined intervals along the grooves and thereby to provide recesses into which Water., trapped between the tread and theroad may oW, and to provide means for the escape of Water at the bottom of the recesses whereby actual Contact between the tread and road surface is assured even during a hard rain storm- 'Referring to the drawing: y Fig. 1 is `a perspective View` of a pneumatic tire -"embodyirig the invention;

l() to he understood that the invention is not to be Fig. 2 is a sectional'perspective viewfon a larger scale, of the tire shown in Fig. `1; y s

Fig. 3 isafragmentary plany View", cna larger scale, ofthe tread of thetire as viewed fromthe une 3 3 of Fig. 1;.5:

Fig. 4 is a vievv`siinil'arv'tolijig.v 3 shovving thev road contact portion .of the tread vievvelfrom line ll--r of v1, as' it:A appearsunderload in serviceg'and f j` f f,

Fig. 5 isa sectionon 1ineQ5-f-,5 ofFigjQ;

Referring to the :dravbving there isshOWn a tire casing having" a body portion I'Ifja'nda tread portion t2. The tread comprises a center, rib

, I3, shoulder ribs M andl I5, and intermediate ribs I'G, 51,48, I9, 2li andZI there being `circunoveren tial grooves lfbetween adjacent ribs. A series of serrations and Bare-formedin the outerfside faces of 'the` shoulder ribs Y.I 4 fand I5 respectively and"`extendV for a short' distance down'jthe. side- Wallv ofthe tire in Which ,position'they assist in preventingside skidding and generallyfimprove the. traction 'qualityof `the tire'. Bothlateral faces of all said vribs are serrated or notchedtheir a fullradial height. The height,l width and spacing of the ribs are suchthat in contactwith the ground under load in service the ribs distort 4until lateral' faces ,of adjacent ribs contact and laterally brace each `other Vat 'circumferentially spaced recurring portions .ofj the ribs, saidcontact points being predetermined by the relative design of the serrations. I n similar manner, as Will be seen by reference to Fig. k4, 'the lateral faces of the ribs do not contact at the portions between said successive or recurring contact positions. It, vwill also be seen that Ethe teeth'23" of serrations of ribs I6, I l, 20 andA 2I have a.r pitch x double the pitch of the confronting serrations; 24 on adjacent ribs I3, I4, I5, `I8 and I9, Also that the" teeth Vand notchesfof' the serrations arev so arranged longitudinally of the ribs that the teeth [of thefdf'Juble',pitchA serrations ,laterally oppose fevery'other notch of notches 2,6" between teeth 24.

The angie of the sides"of'iteeth'zs'iand'the ,sides of notches 26 are substantially the lsame relative to jthe median plane of the'tire.'l When theribs of the tire are distorted under'load in service they flatten and 'spreadl laterally bringingv teeth 23 into their opposed notches 2B with the points of teeth 23co'ntacting`the `bottoms of notches 26, and With the sides of notches 26 contacting the sides of the teeth. While said teeth completely fill said notches which they enter, as will be seen by again referring to Fig. 4, the altitude of teeth 23 is approximatelyk twice thev altitude of teeth `2li; thusit Will'be seen that when adjacent ribs of the tread come laterally into abutted relation, rhombus shaped recesses 6 will remain unclosed to the full height of said abutting ribs. Referring now to Fig. it will be seen that under load the ribs of the tire come into circumferentially spaced contact at the road surface, which contacts extend a distance-radially-.inwardly toward thebottom of the. grooves '1.v However; none of' the groovese entirely close at their bottoms, but instead, at the loaded area of `the tread there are always small openings 21 providing an escape for air and water which may become trapped in open-1 ings 6. t f y The apices or points of serrations 23- and: the bottoms of notches 26 are normally spaced. apart transversely of the tire a relatively short distance, as for example, in the case of a 7.00 passenger tire, embodying the present invention,.such sep aration may be .062 at'the road contact surface of. thetire Whennotv under. load. On the same 7.00 tire the normalwidthoflan opening trans- -verselyflofthe. tread.v would be, for. example, .363

For further example,tl'ie rib in said.."1'.00v tire corresponding to ribl I3` mayjl measure at aright 4angleto the medianplane oftheitiie .471",whil'e ribs corresponding.` to..2U- or 2l may similarly have .af width. transversely ,of 'the ztire .of .455. shoul'd'erribs may have a similar Width of".67'6.

The

All the ribsmayv be..500." in height or the height oftheldiifr'entribs mayvary. As willbestfbe understood by reference to Figs.

.3'..and4 the openings 65 occurv in.A lines that are oblique with relation to the 'median plane of the tire.. '.I'hisfeat'ure'is desirable in. that it presents abroken treadsurface toyt'lie. road' at all= times.

vrIn service under "load" the" ribs distort only lslightly, before' the teetliv23` Contact thebottoms of. laterally opposed. 'notches` 26 Vwhereby all. the

ribs incontactvvith thegroundare' in lateral' engagement. at short intermittent intervals along -each rib. The contact of'fteeth 23' against the bottom. of their laterally opposednotches forms the. recesses 6L under the loaded. area ofthe tread. As indicat'edlabove air. trapped'in openings 6 between the pavement and" thesides of'v the open- M ings escapes. to the atmospherealongthe'bo'tom of the. grooves through the unclosed portion 21 vthereby preventing. a partialvacuum formingin said'opening.. This feature prevents the objectionable noiseof a vacuumfcup designtread. v It also. avoids the expenditure of forceto breakthe edges off avacuum cup loose. from the pavement as would be necessary if the openings 6 were convertedinto vacuumcups. t

-lf the. tread embodying the present invention ,is run in. a rain. orupon a.- wet pavement. water will' enter and' escapefrom the openings 6. in the `same manner as just` explained in reference to air. Thisescapeof.. water. permitsthe edges of openingsj 6 to.y pierce .the film.. ,off water on the' pavement. and to. contact the pavement. whereby the anti-(skid.v and traction qualities. ofjthe tread are. substantially improved'. l

. .The 'slight lateral movement of `the. ribs re quiredto bring, the. ribs of..` the. tread" into lateral abutment is not enough t'o cause objectionable .laokoflateraltstability of the. treadA over prior art treads of equally narrowphighlribs. ThisI is because. the .ribsof applicants design zigzag longitudinally about the tread; The zigzag extends the ribs-inshort lengths obliquely across the tire Ywliichs adds stability tothe ribsagainst sidesway and againstifalling. over sidewise under load.

.Since applicants .tread is stable. and the ribs remain upstanding with but little diStOltOIlU-n* size, the spacing between the ribs reforming and the tapered sides` of the openings 6 ejecting the pebbles vfrom said openings. The narrow grooves between vthe apices of teeth 23 andk opposed notchesZB are too narrow to catch pebbles, and the'like, large enough to seriously damage the tread. f

The invention has been illustrated in reference to a nine rib tread tire, but the invention is not to belimited to such atire as any number of ribs fou11d--satisfactory may bey used. Other changes and `inodiiications vwill occur to those familiar withtthe art; therefore, the invention is to be limited only bythe scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1f. A tire tread construction comprisingaplurality of' circumferentially extending-continuous ribs defiining intervening grooves of var-Ying width; said ribs being normallylaterally spaced `throughout their lengths, the height and width off said ribs-relative to the width of said grooves being such that underfnori'nalload` in service said *ribs distort :and abut adjacent'ribs, the lateral -faces ofsaid ribs being uniformly'and continuously serrated throughout their length, the pitch ofthe serrations ,on one side'f of any one of said grooves being twice the pitch of the serrations 1 on'the other side of the same groove.

2. A tire tread comprising a plurality of functionally continuous circumferentially extending ribs separated by grooves and forming a tread pattern, theV lateral dimensions of said ribs being such that the ribs form contact with adjacent 4ribsv when under loadv and in contact with the Lsupivorting surface, thelateral faces of said ribs being uniformly and continuously serrated, al-

ternate ribs in said-pattern having twice as many said serrations as ribs interveningsaid alternate ribs, the points of the teeth of the successive serrations of the ribs between said alternate ribs being aligned with confronting notches between theyserrations ofthetsaid alternate ribswhereby under load'said teeth points engage the bottom ofk every other. one vof said knotches of the ribs intervening said alternate ribs, the altitude of n said" engaging teeth being greater than the depth of' the confronting notches.

3; A tire tread construction formed with aplurality of endless circumferential ribs dening intervening. grco-veathe height and width of said "ribs relative to the widthv of said grooves and Y the conguration. of. the lateral faces of. said ribs being .such that und-er normal load in service said ribs distort until their radial outer portions makel lateral abutment at longitudinal intervals,

the lateral faces of said ribs being uniformly and continuously serrated throughout their length, the pitch of.` the serrations on one side of a said groove being large and twice the pitch of small serrations on the other side of said groove, the teeth lof theconfronting serrations meshing under load' withconsecutive large pitch teeth entering alternatev notches between the small pitch teeth, the altitude ofthe triangles forming the teeth of the large serrations relative to the depth of the notches in which they-enter being such that when the tread is under load the apices of the teeth of said large serrations abut against the bottom of the notches they enter leaving the portions of said grooves between the said abutting portions unclosed forming recesses with their radially outward open ends exposed to the road surface when said tread is under load in service. i

4. A tire construction comprising a tread portion formed with a plurality of endless circumferential ribs defining intervening circumferential grooves, the lateral faces of said ribs being continuously serrated throughout, the teeth and notches of the serration of confronting sides of said ribs having a ratio of two to one in number and being in meshed relation, the altitudes ofl the triangles forming the teeth relative to the depth of the notches and the width of said grooves being such that whenthe tread is under load the apices of the tread teeth having the larger ratio of pitch abut against the bottom of confronting notches leaving the portions of said grooves between the said abutting portions untion formed with a plurality of circumferentialk ribs defining intervening circumferential grooves, the lateral fa-ces of said ribs being continuously serrated throughout, the teeth and notches of the serration of confronting sides of said ribs having a ratio of two to one in number and being in meshed relation, the altitudes of the triangles forming the teeth relative to the depth of the notches and the width of said grooves being such that when the tread is under load the apices of the tread teeth having the larger ratio of pitch abut against the bottom of confronting notches leaving the portions of said grooves between the said abutting portions unclosed forming recesses with open ends exposed to the road surface.

ALBERT HARGRAVES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th i file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 87,949 Morin Oct. 11, 1932 2,068,050 Bishop Jan. 19, 1937 2,236,903 Hale Apr. 1, 1941 

